Dismal? The Great Dismal Swamp Canal
Dismal? Ben Casey says if you discovered the canal today and didn’t know its name – you wouldn’t call it “dismal”.
The swamp was a dismal place in 1793 when construction on the canal began. Finished in 1805, the 22-mile long canal was a key waterway for a young nation. Today it is a recreational waterway used by sailboats, powerboats, canoes and kayaks.
Casey’s photo-essay, Dismal?, The Great Dismal Swamp Canal is eighty-four color photos accompanying a text encouraging residents to visit and learn more about the natural beauty and history of America’s oldest continually operating canal lock system.
Ben’s wife, Carolyn, added a special section highlighting the evolution of the canal dating back to post Revolutionary War days. Her interview with self-appointed canal historian George Ramsey leaves one feeling that George Washington has been interviewed.
Ben says he created this book to acquaint those who had never visited this environmental and historical treasure tucked away in Northeastern North Carolina. He also wanted to encourage all to make use of the canal and to join efforts to preserve this diminishing part of a pristine wilderness. He notes there are ample means for the average citizen to enjoy and use the canal and its environs without having to be on a large vessel making transit through the canal.
While the scenery photographed is beautiful, some of Ben’s photographs of kayakers and other paddlers in addition to the photos of the two lockmasters reveal another part of the character of the canal and the new Great Dismal Swamp State Park which just opened in the spring of 2008. 
The book accomplishes its stated goal. It is a window opening on opportunities to make this area of the state a must-visit if one has not already done so. As reviewer David Cox notes, it also stimulates memories of those who have either visited the canal or traveled along it in a vessel; power, sail, or paddle.
“Ben Casey, noted photographer, and his wife, Carolyn, display the splendors of a forgotten geographic and historic treasure of our coastal region. From cover to cover, their unique vision, formed during a lifetime exploring the highways, byways, waterways and folk ways of Eastern North Carolina, illuminates this rich visual and historic record. For those who have traveled along the Dismal Swamp Canal, the book will expand their understanding and invoke a pleasant memory. For others, it will stimulate an urge to visit.” David Cox, Captain, (ret) US Navy.
Ben says, “I am always amazed at how much wonder there is out there right in our own backyards. I want to help people see these wonders and encourage them to find their own ways of appreciating them. It is through learning about them and appreciating them that we will be stimulated to preserve and protect them. And in the process, we see some pretty amazing sights.”
Second printing now available. Order directly from Ben Casey, ben@towndock.net..
